Technomoral Conversations: How Will AI Change Science?

In 2024, the Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry were awarded for breakthroughs in AI research: the first for fundamental research on artificial neural networks and the second for developing an AI model that solved a long-standing protein folding problem. Scientists in nearly every field are reaching for new powerful machine learning and AI methods to see if AI has been the missing piece to solve longstanding problems and make new discoveries. Not only has AI started to change how science is done, but also how science is taught, organized, and credited. Some have called AI an equal scientific partner, crediting AI with authorship on papers. Others have gone so far as to suggest that in the next 10-20 years the figure of the human scientist will disappear, with only AI scientists remaining. But there are also increasing critiques and scepticism that AI has hit a cliff, creating more problems than solutions. Some have criticised AI’s role in fabricating data, de-skilling scientists, limiting scientific reproducibility, and more. In this Technomoral Conversations panel we will discuss the ways in which AI has transformed science for better or worse, what it means for AI itself to be seen as a scientist, and whether AI can truly fulfill its promise for science. 

The Technomoral Conversations series brings together leaders, creators and innovators from academia, technology, business and the third sector in a ‘fireside chat’ format to discuss futures that are worth wanting. Chaired by the Centre for Technomoral Futures' new Co-Director, Dr Emily Sullivan, this Technomoral Conversation will feature Dr Eran Tal (Canada Research Chair in Data Ethics and Associate Professor of Philosophy at McGill University), Dr Arfon Smith (Senior Fellow at Schmidt Sciences on the Science Systems team), and Professor Anna Scaife (Professor of Radio Astronomy and Turing AI Fellow, University of Manchester).

This event is a collaboration between the Centre for Technomoral Futures and the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Please note this is a hybrid event.

This event will be live-captioned. If you would like to attend with BSL interpreters, please let us know by contacting the event organisers at Y3RtZiB8IGVkICEgYWMgISB1aw==

Important notice: This event will be photographed/recorded, and images may be used for future marketing, promotional or archive purposes. If you would prefer not to be photographed, please let organisers know at the event.

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